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My pumpkin was fertilized 3 weeks ago, it's 20" wide, 17" long, and 20" tall, and is sitting on the soil. Obviously I should have put plywood under it earlier. I'm sure I can lift it to slide a board in, but the proximity to those secondary vines worries me. The space in front of the pumpkin is due to the main vine breaking and needing to be cut off, so those two secondary vines are the new main vines.

Should I try to slide a board under it, leave it to grow directly on the soil, or do something else?

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8/4/2023 1:28:20 AM

Syracuse, NY

You have come this far with it and done pretty well so I'd say to leave it fully alone;

I foresee something going wrong with any moving of it;

If moved, the dimple in the soil will cause it to rotate back into it and twist the stem-vine union.

The ONLYYYYYY thing I would do and then STOP thinking of going further is to rinse gently the dirt

away off of the stem and the dirt covering the junction of the vine and the stem, because IF the fruit

begins touching that vine, you'll want to see if there is any tendency for the vine to tear away at the stem.

At that time you could then or sooner, but not NOW, merely push the vine downward, since there is already

a channel below it - very convenient!

Per me, rinse-only.

There will be Per-others.

Good luck - eg

8/4/2023 4:31:11 AM

Grittyville, WA

Looks like there's tension, the stem is getting pulled down, and theres no easy way for it to keep growing like that. You may have to lay down the law aka drag those secondaries up & back, out of the way, also raise the main up. Sand or dirt might be ok... just dont irrigate near the pumpkin.

8/4/2023 9:18:35 AM

Grittyville, WA

...In my experience, the sand or soil under/ directly againt the kin doesnt need to be bone dry, but there should be no soggy ground under or around it. If there was, then maybe best to lift it onto something.

8/4/2023 9:27:34 AM

Westmoreland, KS

So with giant pumpkins preparation is key. You need to have slack in the vine prior to pumpkin pollination. Take a note of this for next year and prepare earlier.

8/4/2023 11:30:05 AM

United States

If I (gently) dig around to pull back the secondaries and raise the main vine, I'm going to have to cut roots. Do pumpkin vines regrow cut roots, or is it like a leaf where once it's gone, it's gone?

My inclination is to take pumpkinpal's advice, and leave it alone, but I'd hate for the stem to break and be done for the season. If I could grow a 300lber this season, I'd be very happy.

8/4/2023 5:30:14 PM

Syracuse, NY

"The ONLYYYYYY thing I would do and then STOP thinking of going further is to rinse gently the dirt away off of the stem and the dirt covering the junction of the vine and the stem, because IF the fruit..."

To alleviate any grower tension - and I don't think anything needs to be done unless the shoulder of the fruit touches the vine, (it would NOT be a problem anyway, because it would just grow over/on top of it)
consider that the fruit is probably just barely sitting perfectly balanced and we're putting forces and dangers where they are not already. (!!!)

If anything, that long stem is very strong straight-on, but it's the snap angle potential I'd be avoiding, like an icicle. It can kill you dead-on, butt will break easily from its side's impact...
Rinse that soil away from the junction, and off of the vines 2-3 feet, I suggest.

A garden hose, light to medium spray, take your time. Spraying away from the critical area would be good.
Focus.
One foot on the land mine.
What do you do?
Yeah, I know. 9-1-1.

No 'digging' around needed and I think wet soil would be best at the junction; To ensure there is no tension and I doubt it is much or any, you could THEN, after clearing the soil away, SEE the root that may be at the junction;
You should *not pull up* your fingers to pull the root only out of the soil.
You can hook ONE finger around it to pull it *SIDEWAYS* outta the soil;

8/4/2023 7:07:57 PM

Syracuse, NY

Cutting it would allow the sap to more-readily leak out, butt even that is not a catastrophe.
No need to pull up on the stem all by itself or you're done, and the pumpkin.
Let it sit for now!
Next week, we may be covering that technique, lol.

So,
Rinse away all covering soil from junction and vines up to 3 feet each way;
Use fingers to detach any preventive rooting at the junction as well as vines
up to at least the next rooting points, each way;
Step back and admire that nothing bad happened.

DO say if it rocks forward or back upon detachment. I don't care, but helpful in the end result.
OMG, it's like I'm there and it's my pumpkin!
In tents!

Thanks for considering my advice.
You wouldn't/WON'T believe some of the little things that mean a lot 'out there'.
Honestly, though, good luck!

PS---No, they don't regrow, unfortunately...but new ones from the top of the vine might
still be available to develop in any other scenario.
eg

8/4/2023 7:08:20 PM

Grittyville, WA

You could grow it blossom up. That will be risky/ require a lot of skill.
In other words, keep raising the blossom end up in order to lower the stem end down. Propping it up with a large quantity of dirt or sand. Eventually it would be awkwardly blossom up. I've never seen it done, too lazy to try it myself, I'd be lazy and hack of whatever was causing trouble, but I really do think it could work.

8/4/2023 8:40:44 PM

Grittyville, WA

off

8/4/2023 8:41:09 PM

Colorado

If you dont cut the roots and free the vine the pumpkin will tear the vine.What good are those roots your worried about if the pumpkin isnt attached to the vine.Once you free things up put some sand all around the undercut of the pumpkin and it will grow onto the sand.

8/4/2023 10:30:15 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

CoJoe grows state records close to 1,700 pounds. Listen to Joe.

8/4/2023 10:51:06 PM

New Castle, Indiana

I actually put a board with sand under my pumpkin right around that same size. My wife had to help of course. I also uprooted the nodes on both sides to help loosen up the tension. My pumpkin happens to have a really short stem and I also had to put a pool noodle on one side of the vine because I neglected to create an S curve after the fruit. The noodle has to slip on similar to the way pipe insulation is done.

I am a rookie for the record, but my pumpkin is closing in on dap40 and probably between 700 and 800lb. Looks like I picked a good time to start growing.

8/4/2023 11:29:05 PM

United States

Joe:
The problem is the main vine broke early on, so it's growing like a "T". The pumpkin is at the junction. Except in this "T" about 90% of the vine and leaf grow comes from those two secondary vines. If I cut them, I'd have a 12' main vine, with no secondaries coming from it.

8/6/2023 8:51:13 PM

United States

The main vine is the long line on the "T", lets call it "X". The left side of the cross is "Y", and the right is "Z".

Y to Z is 29ft, with numerous tertiaries that I treat as secondaries due to the main having broken. X is 12ft long, with only 8 leaves. However, Y is much more developed than Z, so if pulling only one would help, I'd consider pulling Z

8/6/2023 9:16:20 PM

Syracuse, NY

Now, I'm just trying to envision this as (OMG, if I am not seeing it correctly in my head, disregard, please) - Can I imagine the T with the pumpkin on top of it, like the symbol for 'female'/'woman'? I'm getting that there are three items attaching plus the pumpkin at the junction if viewed from above...
So,
---------------------
--------(😍)---------
YYYYYYYYYYXZZZZZZZZZZ
----------X----------
----------X----------
----------X----------
----------X----------
----------X----------
----------X----------
----------X----------
----------X...(12 FT)

I suppose the main vine broke at 12 feet away and its length is
irrelevant, now. I've put the work into this and discovered the
'Imoji?' function? So, personal progress 4 me and not making any
unwanted recommendation but I pray that my diagram comes out OK,
lol---eg

8/6/2023 10:03:55 PM

Syracuse, NY

Okay, the (😍) is the Big, Fat, Juicy Pumpkin.
Good luck otherwise in that if the imagined image is correct, it'll help---eg

8/6/2023 10:06:05 PM

Syracuse, NY

---------------------
---------(o)---------
yyyyyyyyyyxzzzzzzzzzz
----------x----------
----------x----------
----------x----------
----------x----------
----------x----------
----------x----------
----------x----------
----------x...(12 ft)

8/6/2023 10:11:48 PM

Colorado

Youve got to at least cut the roots at the stem node and the roots at the first down stream node.Remove the down stream node leaf and rotate the pumpkin so its not on top of the vine with its shoulder.That will give a little slack in the vine and you can stay on top of the stress as the pumpkin grows.

8/7/2023 2:14:13 PM